Audio/Video out-of-sync when importing .mov files

Byron-Ponten wrote on 6/20/2020, 3:28 PM

Using Vegas Pro 17

I have been fighting with importing .mov files for months now. Some .mov files work and others have a huge (1 second or more) lag in video w/re to audio. I am currently evaluating using Premiere Pro. With Premiere, opening "problematic" .mov files launches a dialog asking if I want to sync the audio and video so Premiere Pro seems to have solved the problem.

Right now my work-around (which works 75% of the time) is to use some other application to convert .mov files into something else before loading into vegas pro (OpenShot, Handbrake, others). That also sometimes is problematic.

I think Vegas Pro is superior to Premiere when it comes to a number of UI efficiencies. I can create content very fast in Vegas. Just wish it could handle .mov files. Premiere Pro also has a better text labeling UI but that is for another day.

Comments

john_dennis wrote on 6/20/2020, 3:40 PM

Follow this link and deliver C1-C3 at a minimum.

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/important-information-required-to-help-you--110457/

MOV is a wrapper and we don't know what's inside the wrapper.

Nor do we know if your system can keep up with the demands of the video and audio.

Byron-Ponten wrote on 6/20/2020, 7:19 PM

The attached .mov file is an example. Dialog starts around the 20s mark and you can see the time lag there. Nothing special in vegas. Just start up vegas and drop in the .mov file into a clean new project.

Even the open source OpenShot can handle this .mov file correctly...

EricLNZ wrote on 6/20/2020, 7:37 PM

@Byron-Ponten You still haven't provided media info on your file. I wonder if it has a variable frame rate? Your comment on the Premiere dialogue suggests this might be the case.

Check Options\Preferences\General tab to see if you have the following. This was taken from VMS (I'm not a Pro user) but I expect Pro is similar. It might solve your sync problem.

Byron-Ponten wrote on 6/20/2020, 9:43 PM

Thanks for the suggestion. It was already checked. Also, unchecking and restarting didn't change behavior. Not sure what you want but here is the ffmpeg output for the file:

Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'FullSizeRender.mov':
Metadata:
major_brand : qt
minor_version : 0
compatible_brands: qt
creation_time : 2020-06-10T23:42:24.000000Z
Duration: 00:02:55.22, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 937 kb/s
Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Baseline) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p(tv, bt709, progressive), 640x368, 871 kb/s, 29.99 fps, 30 tbr, 600 tbn, 1200 tbc (default)
Metadata:
creation_time : 2020-06-10T23:42:24.000000Z
handler_name : Core Media Video
encoder : 'avc1'
Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 44100 Hz, stereo, fltp, 61 kb/s (default)
Metadata:
creation_time : 2020-06-10T23:42:24.000000Z
handler_name : Core Media Audio

EricLNZ wrote on 6/20/2020, 10:46 PM

Full media info is required. There's a section in the link John Dennis gave you earlier but to be more specific go here https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/faq-how-to-post-mediainfo-and-vegas-pro-file-properties--104561/

Should you have MPC-HC player then the media info from that is similar and sufficient.

Byron-Ponten wrote on 6/21/2020, 10:10 AM

Here is the MediaInfo for the file that does not sync:

General
Complete name                            : C:\Users\Byron\Downloads\FullSizeRender.mov
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : QuickTime
Codec ID                                 : qt   0000.00 (qt  )
File size                                : 19.6 MiB
Duration                                 : 2 min 55 s
Overall bit rate                         : 938 kb/s
Encoded date                             : UTC 2020-06-10 23:42:24
Tagged date                              : UTC 2020-06-10 23:42:26
Writing library                          : Apple QuickTime

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : Baseline@L3
Format settings                          : 1 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC                   : No
Format settings, Reference frames        : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP                     : M=1, N=15
Codec ID                                 : avc1
Codec ID/Info                            : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                                 : 2 min 55 s
Source duration                          : 2 min 55 s
Bit rate                                 : 872 kb/s
Width                                    : 640 pixels
Height                                   : 368 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 1.739
Frame rate mode                          : Variable
Frame rate                               : 30.000 FPS
Minimum frame rate                       : 15.000 FPS
Maximum frame rate                       : 30.000 FPS
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.123
Stream size                              : 18.2 MiB (93%)
Source stream size                       : 18.2 MiB (93%)
Title                                    : Core Media Video
Encoded date                             : UTC 2020-06-10 23:42:24
Tagged date                              : UTC 2020-06-10 23:42:26
Color range                              : Limited
Color primaries                          : BT.709
Transfer characteristics                 : BT.709
Matrix coefficients                      : BT.709
Codec configuration box                  : avcC

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : AAC LC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID                                 : mp4a-40-2
Duration                                 : 2 min 55 s
Source duration                          : 2 min 55 s
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 64.0 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Channel layout                           : L R
Sampling rate                            : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate                               : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 1.28 MiB (7%)
Source stream size                       : 1.28 MiB (7%)
Title                                    : Core Media Audio
Encoded date                             : UTC 2020-06-10 23:42:24
Tagged date                              : UTC 2020-06-10 23:42:26

Also see attached image. It shows a file diff between the output from MediaInfo where the content on the left is from a .mov file that does not sync and content on the right from a .mov file that does sync.

john_dennis wrote on 6/21/2020, 2:44 PM

@Byron-Ponten

Files that have variable frame rates can be problematic for Vegas Pro.

Here is a solution that converts the frame rate from variable to constant.

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/vegas-pro-16-major-problem--119396/#ca745203

You can accomplish the same with FFMPEG though the previous method is easier for non-computerheads.

Parenthetical Comment:

The bit rate of your source is profoundly low for a goesinto.

Byron-Ponten wrote on 6/21/2020, 9:17 PM

Using ffmpeg worked like a charm. Thanks!

You'd think with ffmpeg being open source, and allowed to be use by commercial applications, that Vegas would fold that in to the distribution. It could be used to detect variable frame rates and then prompt the user to convert it.

Re: low bit rate for the video.... Yeah, I have no control over the content that folks give to me for assembly into our church service videos. It's all over the place.

EricLNZ wrote on 6/21/2020, 9:22 PM

@Byron-Ponten Not all VFR causes problems, especially with VP17 but yours was very variable, from 15 to 30. Anyway you are now able to deal with whatever your folk give you 😃